


Bucky Volunteers

by the_witching_hours



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-16
Updated: 2017-06-16
Packaged: 2018-11-14 19:30:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11214744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_witching_hours/pseuds/the_witching_hours
Summary: Y/N: your name | Y/L/N: your last name | Y/N/N: your nickname





	Bucky Volunteers

**Author's Note:**

> Y/N: your name | Y/L/N: your last name | Y/N/N: your nickname

“It’ll be good for you.”

“You need to get out in the world.”

“Be seen doing something good, it’ll help.”

Everyone on the team seemed to have the same opinion, that Bucky needed to do some volunteer work. Bucky had nothing against the idea, but it wasn’t like people were jumping at the chance to let the Winter Soldier into their business.

“I know someone,” Sam had said, he assured Bucky that this place wouldn’t care about his rep, that he would be accepted as long as he respected the place and the person running it, which should be no problem for him. But as he approached the building, he grew more and more nervous.

But his nervousness was forgotten within 10 minutes of meeting you. You’d seen him coming in the front door and had practically skipped out to meet him. Sam had told you all about Bucky Barnes and you were beyond excited to meet him. You’d known Sam for a few years now; your dad had been one of Sam’s regulars at the VA and you’d struck up a friendship with him pretty fast. Now Sam sent a lot of his clients your way.

Bucky had been standing at the counter when you came through the door that led to the kennels; he looked very uncomfortable, and unsure of himself. You smiled and stepped around the counter calmly; you didn’t want him to feel like you were rushing at him.

“Hey, you must be Bucky,” you smiled, stopping a few feet away so you didn’t crowd him.

“Yeah,” he sounded sad and winced, looking down at the floor after meeting your eyes for just a few moments.

“No one else would be in here this early, we technically don’t open for another hour,” you explained. The look on his face had said that he expected you to recognize him, and he expected to be rejected, so you made sure he knew the reason you’d known who he was. He looked up and met your eyes again briefly, he may have smiled a little.

“My name’s Y/N,” you said, sticking your hand out, Bucky shook it automatically.

“Nice to meet you ma’am.”

“Whoa, stop right there. No need to call me ‘ma’am’, makes  me feel like my gramma,” you laughed at Bucky’s perplexed face, “just call me Y/N or Y/N/N if you want. ‘Bucky’ is a nickname right? Is it okay if I call you that or would you rather I called you something else?”

“N-no, Bucky’s fine. Never really used ‘James’ much, ‘cept my ma I think…” he sounded unsure so you didn’t pry; Sam had told you that Bucky’s memory was spotty, and you didn’t want to make him uncomfortable.

“Bucky it is then,” you declared, smiling again, “so what did Sam tell you about the place?” You had to ask; knowing Sam, it could be anything.

“Just that he knew you, and that a bunch of his friends from the vet center worked here… I guess he thought I’d fit in okay…”

A grin spread across your face, “I’m shocked, I expected him to have spun tales at least a little bit.”

Bucky chuckled dryly, his metal hand moving to rub at the back of his neck, “he does do that a lot.”

“At least he’s making friends,” you snarked, Sam was such a dork.

“I dunno about friends, most of the time I’d like to punch him in the face.”

“He does have that effect on people doesn’t he?” Bucky smiled at that.

“You wanna see the critters?” You tilted your head in the direction of the kennel door. Bucky nodded his head, the smile still present on his face as you led him back.

Bucky quickly became a permanent volunteer at the center. Sometimes people needed to be working, to be doing something productive to really get themselves worked out, and it didn’t hurt that all the animals at your adoption center were just too cute to resist. It was hard to pass up a chance to hang around all the little fur balls, plus it gave everyone a chance to talk. Animals were easy to talk about, hell, they were easy to talk to as well and they gave all the volunteers a neutral topic to strike up conversations.

Opening up after trauma could be a process, sometimes it was a long process with lots of switchbacks and hairpin turns, but for some people, just starting a conversation, about anything, could be the first step.

For Bucky, this seemed to have been the case. At first he’d only talked to you about the animals, or about what he needed to do, but the more you talked to him, the more trust you built. So you’d slowly start to talk about other things; more difficult things. After a while, Bucky even started talking to the other vets. Before long, you had him training the new volunteers.

The animals were all fond of Bucky, taking to him almost automatically; he just seemed to put them all at ease. Even Jock, the skittish little yorkie the center had gotten from animal control. The poor thing had been beaten so badly by his previous owners that he’s lost his sense of hearing and was blind in one eye. He would only eat for you or Bucky, he would only leave his little nest if you or Bucky were there; the first time he’d walked straight out to Bucky you’d almost cried you were so happy.

Bucky even cared for his co-workers. Aside from training the new volunteers, you had overheard him on a few occasions talking to a few of the Vets sam had referred to you. Bucky had no idea the impact of what he was doing, but you could see it on the volunteers face’s; they respected him, and listened to his advice. He may not have known it, but he had friends.

Sam and Steve came by to visit during one of Bucky’s shifts. You met them at the counter and took them back to see Bucky in the yard watching the dogs. You kept out of Bucky’s line of sight so his friends could watch him for a while, knowing that they were still concerned for their friend.

“He looks so happy,” Steve said, a smile growing on his face, “I haven’t seen him this happy in a long time.” You smiled a little too.

“I told you man, Y/N’s the best. She gets all my clients out of their shells.”

“I’m pretty sure its the animals more than me. Bucky has been helping some of the other vets too, they listen to him.” Both men turned to you, slightly shocked looks on their faces.

A small, yipping, bark called your attention to the small yorkie trotting over to Bucky, who rubbing the little dog’s head affectionately. Then Jock turned in your direction, yipped again, and trotted your way. Completely shocked, you stooped to pick up the little ball of fur now dancing at your feet. You looked from the dog to Bucky as you stood. Bucky had noticed Sam and Steve and was now walking in your direction.

“He’s so tiny,” Sam said, breaking your semi trance.

“Yeah, but he’s tough as nails,” Bucky added, a smile on his face as he reached out and petted Jock’s head.

“He’s come a long way, that’s for sure,” you confirmed, looking from Bucky’s smile to Steve. Steve was so happy you thought he might cry.

“So what are you fellas doin’ here?” Bucky asked, one eyebrow raised. You got the feeling he knew he was being checked up on.

“Oh, they were just saying how the rest of the team was gonna come volunteer too, weren’t you guys?” you looked to the soldiers behind you, a smirk on your face; they couldn’t disagree with you or they’d have to tell Bucky that they were checking up on him.

“What’d’ya think Jock?” you addressed the dog in your arms, “you want Captain America to clean up your turds?”

Bucky howled with laughter.


End file.
